County Board adopts ordinance to create Police Oversight Board and Independent Policing Auditor

Arlington County’s Board voted 5-0 on June 13, 2026, to adopt an ordinance recodifying Chapter 69 of the county code to create a Law Enforcement Community Oversight Board and an Independent Policing Auditor, both of which will have defined responsibilities and access to police records consistent with Virginia law.

The ordinance, effective July 1, 2026, directs the County Board to appoint seven voting members to the Oversight Board and two non‑voting members with prior law‑enforcement experience; it requires the Board and the Independent Policing Auditor to enter a memorandum of understanding with the Police Department within 90 days of the initial appointments. The ordinance also establishes training, confidentiality, reporting, and budget provisions and sets procedures for review of completed investigations and recommendations regarding disciplinary outcomes (adopted as presented in the staff report). The vote on the consent agenda was recorded as: Matt de Ferranti, Chair – Aye; Maureen Coffey, Vice‑Chair – Aye; Susan Cunningham, Member – Aye; Julius D. “JD” Spain, Sr. – Aye; Takis Karantonis, Member – Aye.

Under the new Chapter 69 language, the Oversight Board may review completed County Police Department investigations and issue public reports without including personally identifiable information prohibited by law; the ordinance details the Board’s duties, quorum and meeting rules, and a process for requesting subpoenas through the Arlington Circuit Court if access to records or witnesses is refused. The ordinance also requires an annual budget appropriation and sets expectations for public reporting and community outreach. The ordinance text and related staff report were included in the June 13 meeting materials and the measure was adopted on the consent vote.